Sweet Dreams
by SheyConYamo
Summary: When dreams turn to nightmares, all we can do is wake up... but what do we do then? One-Shot - OCs mentioned.


**I own nothing but the One-Shot and OCs...**

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He opened his eyes to see Golden-green irises regarding him.

"Hello, Love. Did you sleep well?"

He smiled. "Of course, Dear. You're up early aren't you?"

Aerin smiled, his long, brown hair swishing from his shoulders. "Well, yes, but I wanted to make something special. It's the day of the alignment you know."

"Oh yes!" he said happily. "I almost forgot!" He stretched and sat up in bed. He heard the door creek and looked to see their child. "Hello, Lorne!" he called, reaching out.

The silver haired child, looking no older than five by human years, ran into the room. "Saiah!" Lorne called, reaching to him.

He picked their child up and sat him in his lap. "And how are you today, youngling?" he asked happily.

"Good!" Lorne answered with a beaming smile.

He chuckled lightly. "Good!" he repeated back.

"I'm hoping he grows out of one word sentences soon." Aerin said sweetly. "Its cute, but I want him to grow."

"Oh, he's just waiting for the right time!" he said in response. He gave Aerin a playful look. "I was the same way, and there's nothing wrong with me."

Aerin laughed. "So you've told me, Love. Come, our morning meal is ready. I've made your favorite." he said with a wink.

"Ooh! You made terrin cookies!" he said spiritedly as he rose from the bed with Lorne on his hip.

Aerin laughed again. "This time, yes, I actually have!"

He smiled and quickly closed the difference between the two of them. He wrapped his arm around Aerin and leaned his chin on his shoulder. "You souldn't have." he said lowly.

Aerin turned his face towards him and smiled. "Silly!" He lifted his hand and flicked him on the forehead.

"Ow!" he fake-cried, rubbing his head.

"Ow!" Lorne mimicked.

"At least I trim my nails, Love. You really need to stop neglecting them, soon they'll turn into claws." Aerin said jokingly.

He laughed.

The fire… it was everywhere… It smothered the ground and tore up the land. The ravages of chaos and terror roamed freely.

He couldn't find Aerin.

He had run so hard his legs felt broken, his lungs felt like they were ripping from his chest. "AERIN!" he called again. "AERIN! WHERE ARE YOU!" He used his death scythe to clear the smoke from his path. "AERIN!"

He had been called from duty to help with a travesty in their relm. Idiotic separtists had done something terrible. But when he had heard which district had been hit… only one thought coursed through his essence. "AERIN!"

He couldn't fine Aerin. Or Lorne. He had searched their district high and low, and not a single trace. There was only one other option. The shelter that had been abandoned. The runners had said there were people missing, their head counts were off. He summoned as much energy as he could and used it to speed his legs. He raced accross the land. To the structure of twisted metal and rock. It was being eaten alive by the living fire that had been set loose on the land. He got closer and closer to the hell-flame, its fumes and heat becoming too much to bear.

Something caught his eye. A flash of silver, yards from the entrance. "LORNE!" He raced faster than he thought possible. Their child was facedown in what was left of the grassy knoll. He tossed his death scythe to the side and picked up his only youngling. "Lorne, please, Lorne, answer me!" He felt striking cold on his hot face… tears. He leaned down and put his ear to his youngling's mouth. The child was just barely breathing. He looked up to the building and panic filled him. "Aerin, you would always protect Lorne above anything!"

He held his child to his body and lunged for his death scythe. He swiftly cut the entrance asunder and flew inward, using his energy to shield himself and Lorne from the fire. "Aerin! AERIN!" he screamed, utter desperation filling him. He cut through the hallways and the walls, slowly digging himself deeper into the building, using more and more energy to fend off the hell-fire.

"AERIN PLEASE!" He screamed cutting into such a mangled piece of wall it hardly could have passed for a structure. His breath caught… he could have sworn his heart stopped beating.

A mangled body of disintegrating flesh and melting bones. That was all that was left.

His energy faltered and his vision blurred. He screamed.

"NNNOOOOOOOOO!"

Everything was black, he tried to move, but he hit something, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't see. He screamed and pushed forward. He felt the coffin lid open and he fell with it to the floor.

"AAHHhhhh! Nooo, NOOOO! Aaahhahh!" He collapsed and rolled onto his back, covering his face with his hands as he wailed in the darkness.

He rolled to his side and pushed himself up with difficulty, his cries unstoppable and his face soaking from his tears. He got to his feet and stumbled into his shelves, knocking several beakers to the ground. He made his way to his far wall with difficulty and opened his secret cubbard in the wall. He pulled out a stoneware bottle filled with something far stronger than human liquors. He ripped the cork out as he leaned against the wall, trembling furiously. He put the bottle to his lips and drank as quickly as he could through his sobs.

He lowered the bottle to breathe as he trembled uncontrollably. "I … I can't … I caaaan't… " Fresh tears came and he drank more. He leaned forward and coughed, having drank too fast. He clung to the bottle and stared at the ground. "What am I gonna do… What… What?" He squeezed his eyes closed and fisted his hand to his head. "I know…" he said quietly. "I know what I'll do." He nodded. "I'll get to work. That's right. I'll work! I have to work! My work never stops, I have no choice! Thats what I'll do! Ehehe!"

He put the bottle down and stumbled back to his coffin. He picked up the lid on the floor and put it back in its place. "That's what I'll dooo! I'll work, yes!" He turned and looked at the floor and saw his hat. "Yes!" He picked it up and brushed it off, paying no attention to the list in his stance. "I'll work, work, work aaallll daaaayy looong!" He placed his hat neatly on his head and patted it down. "An undertaker's job is never done, no it isn't! That's what I'll dooo! Hehehe!" He turned and started to the back of his shop. "Time to examine all those lovely corpses and make them look so pretty! That's all I can do, that's all I can do! Heeheheehee!" He opened the door and saw a fresh batch of coffins already delivered and waiting.

Undertaker grinned. "Oh yes! I love my job sooo much! I get to make them all look sooo pretty! Heheheee!"


End file.
